Lost in Flight by Neeny Boucher Page B

rehab prospects through her head and planning whom she’d call for the intervention.  She needed to get him out of the house, so she could check his room for drugs.  She hoped he wasn’t back on heroin, but she hadn’t seen any recent needle marks on his arms.  It didn’t mean they weren’t somewhere else though and she needed to make sure.
    Once an addict, always an addict, and Johnny was a drug addict.  He’d been clean for three years, but getting him there had been ugly.  The first time he’d gone to rehab was about five years ago and he’d met a drug-addicted supermodel that had once been the girlfriend of a rock star who committed suicide.  They escaped from rehab in their first week and ran off together. 
    Their relationship put them on the paparazzi radar and photographers following them closely like a horde of locusts, snapping every single one of their drug-fuelled-crazed-antics.  The relationship hadn’t lasted.  Mainly, because Christina forced Johnny back into rehab through tough love, causing a rift between them.  She’d threatened to have him declared mentally incompetent and sent to a facility until he got clean. 
    He had been furious with her and they’d communicated for years through monosyllabic texts and forced family get-togethers.  Gabby’s hospitalization had changed all that and to give Johnny credit: he’d gone back to rehab and cleaned up his act.  Now, she was worried.
    When she looked up Johnny was staring at her with a lopsided grin on his face.  “Dina.  I’m not on drugs okay?  Don’t worry.”  She gave him a dubious smile and he laughed.  “I’m not.  I promise - scouts honor.” 
    She was about to point out that he’d never been a boy scout, but the way he did the salute made it redundant.  It was more like the “rock on” sign.  He stood up and grinned. 
    “I’m going to go get us some dinner and do the shopping.  And… while I’m gone, I want you to clean yourself up.  I’ve got a surprise for you.” 
    Christina’s heart sank.  She hated surprises.  None of hers had ever been good. 
    When he saw her face, Johnny laughed.  “It’s a good one.  I promise.  Now, you need to go get yourself ready.  Do your hair or something ‘cause raggedy ass won’t cut it.” 
    Christina sighed.  She didn’t have a good feeling about this - not at all.
     
    ********************
     
    Riley
     
    What the hell was she still doing here?  She was supposed to be gone.  Riley wondered if Steven had done this on purpose and then discounted the thought quickly.  Steven wouldn’t do that, but he could have got his wires crossed.
    Fuming, Riley watched Christina come down the front steps and stop.  It was the first time he’d seen her in the flesh in Shanwick for years.  He’d seen her at the hospital from across the road, and on TV being interviewed about Gabby, but couldn’t watch.  She’d looked like she was going to break into a million pieces and even he couldn’t find it in his heart to take pleasure in that.
    Now here she was, and he glared at her with his hands clenched on the steering wheel.  It brought back every memory, good and bad, seeing her in this place.  He didn’t think it would affect him so much and he was furious. 
    She looked like a little kid with her hair in two plaits and a bandana on.  She looked harmless, but he knew better.  Looking her up and down, he did a quick checklist.  She was wearing ripped jeans that were covered in paint and had on an old t-shirt tied in a knot under her boobs, with a long sleeved top underneath.
    He tried not to focus on the other things, like how the t-shirt accentuated her fantastic tits, her olive skin, long legs, the hollow of her neck, her high cheekbones, and everything else.  She looked like she could do with an extra 10 pounds, but he didn’t want to think about pounds, or pounding either.  
    Riley swallowed and rubbed a hand over his mouth, and chin.  He consoled